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For the devotee, the universe is but a manifestation of Shiva who is omnipresent as infinite luminous lingas. However, for centuries, the darshan of 12 of these symbolic and self-manifested lingas which are referred to as the Dwadasha Jyotirlingas and are located across the length and breadth of Bharatvarsha’s sacred geography have acquired special significance for the pilgrim in her or his teerth yatra. Jyoti is another word for light and since Shiva is believed to have appeared as a column of light, the linga and jyoti are linked inextricably in these jyotirlingas in specific and every shiva linga in general.
Why is Shiva worshipped in the form a Linga? The Story of Lingodbhav Shiva
The Jyotirlinga Teertha Yatra
The order of the jyotirlingas is mentioned variously. For this piece, we have taken the order in the famous stotra which is recited by Shiva devotees everyday to remind them of these magical religious and spiritual abodes where Mahadeva resides as an effulgent and self manifest linga.
Shri Somnath Jyotirlinga, Gir Somnath, Gujarat
Our teertha yatra of the jyotirlingas begin from the ageless Somnatha in Saurashtra where the colossus and magical Lord of the Moon resides on the western coast of India, at the triveni sangam where the Hiranya and Kapila rivers meet the mystical Saraswati and then flow into the sea. The magnificent and towering central shrine where Shiva blesses us, was dedicated in 1951 CE post India’s independence. However, this ancient teertha in sacred Prabhasa also has a multi-layered history of repeated plundering and destruction, followed by rebuilding and resistance and has had multiple lives.
The Story of Somnath
Somnath is where the Moon is said to have performed severe penance and prayed to Lord Shiva so that he could be freed from the curse of Daksha. He was afflicted with deadly tuberculosis (kshaya roga) as a punishment for his unfair behaviour meted out towards his wives. Pleased with his prayers, Shiva blessed him and since then, we are witness to the waxing and waning of the moon.
Shri Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga, Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh
Our next stop is at the scenic and ancient Srisailam Mountain flanked by the mighty Krishna river where Shiva and Parvati reside as Mallikarjuna Swamy and Brahmaramba Devi respectively. This stunning and centuries-old temple is where we worship the jyotirlinga with jasmine flowers to help us sail yonder.The ancient Mallikarjuna devasthanam is enclosed by an impressive and ornately carved outer wall (prakara) and also houses a famous Shakti Pitha.
The Story of Mallikarjuna
Srisailam is where Shiva and Parvati came to reside so that they could be close to their son – Skanda and visit him at will. Hurt by what he perceived as unfair treatment by his parents, Swami Karthikeya left their abode on Mount Kailash and came to live there. He refused to return and moved further to Palani in due course.
Shri Mahakaleshwara Jyotirlinga, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
The captivating abode of Mahakala, the Great God of Time itself, in ancient Ujjain or Avantipuri at the centre of India is our next destination. With the Shipra River flowing at his feet and his coiled, silver snake crowning him; his many shringaras allow us to experience the nirakara as sakaara Shiva. The sanctum sanctorum (garbha griha) which houses the divine jyotirlinga is at the lowest level of the magnificent three-storeyed temple at Ujjain.
The Story of Mahakala
Maheshwara appeared as Mahakaleshwara at Avantipuri on the behest of the four sons of Vedapriya, a devout Brahman to annihilate the asura Dushana and his mighty army. The origin of the temple is also linked to a brave King Chandrasena and a young bhakta called Gopaputra who were blessed by Shiva himself.
Shri Omkareshwara Jyotirlinga, Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
Our yatra now takes us to an island in the middle of the sacred Narmada where she meets the Cauvery in Khandwa and where the Omkareshwar jyortirlinga itself is an embodiment of the cosmic sound, the all-pervading Aum. This is where we pray for moksha…this is where even the devatas worship him.
The Story of Omkareshwara
This timeless teertha is believed to house two jyotirlingas – Omkareshwara which is a manifestation of the five syllables of Aum and Amaleshwara which appeared in front of the great mountain Vindhyachal who had fervently worshipped Parmeshwara Shiva for that divine knowledge which leads to the achievement of all siddhis.
The sublime kshetra is also linked to the legendary King Mandhata of the Ikshavaku clan who is said to have worshipped Shiva here.
Shri Baidyanath (Vaidyanatha) Jyotirlinga, Deoghar, Bihar
Shiva in his form as Baba Vaidyanatha, the Lord of Healers, the one who blessed Ravana, beckons us as we travel north east to Deoghar. In this ancient chita bhoomi or crematorium ground, devotees perform his abhisheka with the waters of Ganga which they carry for miles on their shoulders and pray for the destruction of their sins.
The Story of Baidyanath
It is said that Ravana performed severe penance on Mount Kailasha to please Shiva. When he cut off nine of his heads, a pleased Shankara not only healed them but also blessed him with a divine linga which he wanted to carry and consecrate in Lanka. However, due to a divine twist of fate, the jyotirlinga established itself as Baba Vaidyanath on the way and is worshipped there.
Alternate Location of Baidyanath
Some people also identify the ancient Shiva temple on a small hill at Parli in Maharashtra as the location of this Jyotirlinga.
Shri Bhimashankara Jyotirlinga, Pune, Maharashtra
Bhimashankara, in the picturesque Sahyadri mountains towards the west, is our next stop in the jyotirlinga yatra. The Bhima River and the pretas join us as we worship Shiva here at Dakini and Shakini.
The Story of Bhimashankara
Bhimashankara exterminated the terrible demon Bhima who was the son of Kumbhkarana and Karkata at the request of the devatas. He stayed on in Dakini to purify the land and its surroundings.
Alternate Location of Bhimashankara
The ancient linga at Dakini hill near Guwahati.in Assam is sometimes identified by devotees as the location of this Jyotirlinga.
Shri Ramanathaswamy Jyotirlinga, Ramanathpuram, Tamil Nadu
The southern coast of India where Shri Rama’s Lord, Rameshwara, resides in a breathtakingly majestic temple on a small island is the next jyotirlinga in our sacred journey. And as we offer the water of the Ganga from the north to Ramanathaswamy as per tradition, our being is filled with bliss as this is also one of the Four Dhaams in Hindu faith. The long and monumental pillared corridors of the grand temple are but a fitting tribute to the manifest Shiva.
The Story of Ramanathaswamy or Rameshwaram
Rameshwaram is inextricably linked to Rama who consecrated a linga made of clay here and prayed fervently to his nath, Shiva, who resides in it with Parvati. While some accounts say that he worshipped Shiva and sought his blessings here before he annihilated Ravana’s mighty army, others suggest that he stopped here with Sita and Lakshman on the way back and entreated Mahadeva to absolve him from the sin of killing a brahman. *
Shri Nageshwara Jyotirlinga, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Gujarat
The yatra now takes us back to the west, not too far from the heavenly city of Dwarka, where the Lord of Nagas, Nageshwara inhabits the ancient forest of Daruka with his consort Nageshwari. It is said that his veneration and darshan can transform even an ordinary mortal to a Chakravarti king.
The Story of Nageshwara
Nageshwara appeared in all his glory at the behest of a great Shiva bhakta, a Vaishya named Supriya, who had been captured by the mighty demon Daruka. He decimated the demon and his army with his Pashupata while Parvati blessed the demon’s wife Darukaa. Since then, beings and humans from diverse backgrounds coexist peacefully in this forest.
Alternate Locations of Nageshwara
Aundha Nagnath in Maharashtra or Jageshwar Dham in Almora in Uttarakhand are also sometimes identified by devotees as locations of this Jyotirlinga.
Shri Kashi Vishwanatha Jyotirlinga, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
It is now time to travel north east to bow to the Lord of the Universe, Kashi Vishvanatha, who presides over the sacred and timeless city of Varanasi on the banks of the mokshadayini Ganga. The multi-layered history of the mesmerising temple tells many tales of looting and destruction, of rebuilding and reconsecration and of the tireless faith of those in search of moksha. He was here before creation and he will be here after destruction… he is that column of light that cannot be extinguished.
The Story of Kashi Vishwanatha
The jyotirlinga of Vishweshwara at Kashi is said to be the self-effulgent and self-manifested column of light that had appeared before Brahma and Vishnu. It is also believed that it is here that the Nirguna Shiva manifested as both Prakriti and Purusha and as Shakti and Shiva to set in motion, the cycle of creation.
Shri Trimbakeshwara Jyotirlinga, Nashik, Maharashtra
From Kashi, our yatra now moves west to the picturesque foothills of Brahmagiri on the banks of the celestial Godavari or Gautami Ganga where the three-eyed Lord, Trayamabekshwara (alternate spelling for Trimbakeshwara) is manifest in an ancient linga in which he dwells with Vishnu and Brahma to uplift one and all. The current temple which stands out for its architectural brilliance and in which the jyotirlinga that is alarmingly wearing away is enshrined, was rebuilt in the eighteenth century.
The Story of Trimbakeshwara or Trayambekshwar
Trayambekshwara* and the celestial Godavari or Gautami Ganga are believed to have emerged at this sacred and enchanting place as a result of the long and arduous penance of the great Rishi Gautam and his wife.
Shri Kedarnath Jyotirlinga, Rudraprayaga, Uttarakhand
Up north, a steep and difficult trek across the snow-capped Himalayas will now take us to the enchanting land of Kedara, where its Lord, the magnificent Kedarnath resides in an age-old temple on the banks of the mighty Mandakini. And as we bow in front of the ever-patient Nandi and witness the nirvana darshan and arati darshan, we cannot but pray for enlightenment.
The temple is closed during the inclement winters and Shiva’s five-faced golden crown is worshipped at Ukhimath. However, an akhand deepak that reminds us of his infinite effulgence continues to light up the sanctum sanctorum of the temple through these six months.
The Story of Kedarnath
Kedarnath is said to embody the jyoti that manifested itself in the linga made of clay (parthiva linga) which was worshipped by Nara and Narayana, avatars of Vishnu. As per another account, Shiva took the form of a buffalo and vanished beneath the earth but his back manifest itself as a jyotirlinga when the Pandavas beseeched him for his grace.
Shri Grishneshwara Jyotirlinga, Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra
Our last stop on this heavenly teertha yatra is at the abode of Ghushmeshwara, the Lord of the pious lady Ghushma, in the western part of India. Also known as Grishneshwara, in this manifestation, a generous Mahadeva is said to absolve the devotee from all his or her paap karma.
The Story of Grishneshwara
Ghushmeshwara appeared at Illapuri in a linga made of clay to bless his great bhakta, Ghusma. He not only brought back her only son to life and blessed her family but also promised her that his jyotirlinga at that sacred spot would henceforth be known by her name.
Alternate Locations of Grishneshwara
The ancient linga in Shivad at Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan is also sometimes identified by devotees as the location of this Jyotirlinga.
And while we do not know if that is indeed possible, the celestial darshan of these dwadasha jyotirlingas across India’s sacred landscape only leaves the atma pining for more. Perhaps, this is the beginning of the spiritual journey… the journey to moksha…
ॐ namah shivai…
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